My 180ltr Juwel Vision

[Mark Allen]

Algae, urgh......lol

I bought this second hand Sept 2015, convereted it to T5 and put two Aquamanta ex200 external filters, using spray bars, UV steriliser, external heater, put some plants and rock in and had this, which I was pretty chuffed with

I was dosing TNC liquid carbon and TNC complete food. Nothing else. I did an AM and PM lighting cycle (forgotten the exact hours)

After a month or so, this, still happy

I started messing with some of the red stem plants, changed a few plants around, but they seemed to start to not grow well and algae started. I thought a CO2 system might be better over liquid CO2. So I bought one. Cant say its really made much difference, the plants pearl, but dont seem to grow much more.

I've started dosing Sachem Flourish as well as the TNC complete now.

Lights 08:00 - 20:00. Temp 27'C cant get it any cooler at the moment. ph 7.4

I've put a sack of phosphate absorbant granules in the filter and it has reduced the phosphates in the tank. They are pretty high out the tap. I was going to start looking at Silicate levels?

But it looks like this now

I have green dots ont he glass, I have hairy stuff, brown stuff on the rocks, string poo thickness stuff off the wood. Its kind of all a mess and im stuck on what things are and how to deal with them.

I put 6 amano shrimp in, but they just hide down behind the java fern, probably becuase of the Angle fish, so I could be moving them on.

 

[tim]

Hi mark, 12 hours is a rather long photoperiod, 6-8 is around the maximum most recommend (I run 6 on my high tech tanks) the green spot algae is an indicator of low po4, I would cut the lights to 6 hours, carry out 3-5 50% water changes per week whilst trimming, scrubbing and removing as much algae with each water change, spot dosing liquid carbon onto hardscape, with the filters off can speed up the process of killing algae, hope this helps.

 

[Nelson]

the green spot algae is an indicator of low po4, I would cut the lights to 6 hours,

I've put a sack of phosphate absorbant granules in the filter and it has reduced the phosphates in the tank.

.

 

[Mark Allen]

ooooo, I tried to remove the po4 to reduce algae, seems I've done the wrong thing? oops

ill take that sachet of absorbant stuff out tomorrow and make a big water change.

 

[Mark Allen]

Annoyingly I took one of my filters out today and it wasnt the one I thought had the phosphate remover in. Ill have to wait to pull the other one open, as whilst I had the wrong filter out I cleaned it.

I put a load of plants in today, pulled out some of the straggly dead looking ones. Not sure if it looks how I want it. Unsure what the fern things are, saw them in the shop and thought they would look good.
I gave the glass a real good clean and loads of green algae came off. I sucked all this out with a 50% water change.

 

[Mark Allen]

wow, 50% water change and a day to settle, tank looks amazing today, water is looking super clean.

One thing I noticed, the plant in the middle, just under the gourami, was a vibrant pink/purple. Today its gone red and not vibrant. Is this just because of the move or is it suffering already?

 

[Mark Allen]

On my last photo, the busy plants to the left, I planted them in bunches. Should I have split them out?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Unsure what the fern things are, saw them in the shop and thought they would look good.

It looks like a <"Selaginella sp.">, they aren't aquatics and can't be grown submersed. I think it is really disappointing that these plants are still being sold as aquatic plants.

On my last photo, the busy plants to the left, I planted them in bunches. Should I have split them out?

You can do, and they will probably grow better.

cheers Darrel

 

[Mark Allen]

Little update, tank is doing well because of the 50% water changes. If only I knew that ages ago, lol. Shame about those fern type plants. I guess i'll leave them there, as I have nothing else to do with them.

Can someone ID the plant in the second photo, i've lost the label that came with it. It seems to be growing well and wouldnt mind getting some more, but I just grabbed it from the LFS and I couldnt see any there today.

 

[Halley]

I also have a juwel vision - excellent tank - I use the original t8 lighting and I can grow many plants - I would suggest getting some floating plants to reduce lighting


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[dw1305]

Hi all,

Shame about those fern type plants. I guess i'll leave them there, as I have nothing else to do with them.

You need to take them out as they will eventually rot. They make a nice house plant for a cool room (they need high humidity).

Can someone ID the plant in the second photo,

Partially because it seems to have settled in well, possibly a form of <"Hygrophila corymbosa">.

It is very easy to propagate as a <"stem cutting">.

cheers Darrel

 

[HiNtZ]

If you're talking about the plant on the left - limnophila sessiliflora

 

[Manisha]

Hi Mark, the tanks looking much better with your water changes getting the algae under control
I just wondered in your last post the pink plant in the centre 'under the gourami' - is it http://tropica.com/en/plants/plantdetails/Alternantherareineckii'Pink'(023)/4436?
It reddened up in my low tech but my shrimps enjoyed it,
A put a few small stems of it in my higher tech & it's done better (although is a bit out of proportion in the wee tank...)

 

[Mark Allen]

My shrimp like it, as in eat it I think. Looks like yours has had the same thing dome to it?

yes, the Hygrophila corymbosa looks about right. So annoying I lost the label, but the more I think, perhaps it never came with one. I will try to take some cuttings, free plants for the other tank

 

[Halley]

It could be hygrophila corymbosa kompakt - a dwarf version


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[Mark Allen]

Little update photo, few changes. I also have a new bulb, Nymphaea Rubra at the mid left, so that should bring some nice contrast through soon.
Slowly been upping the CO2 and its near a good level now, some plants are starting to pearl. Could probably push it higher, but its chomping through the 390gram disposable bottles. I was thinking of changing to a FE, but I started reading about CO2 dumps and adjusting the needle valve daily when almost empty. Whereas these 390g bottles I can run to complete empty and only have to adjust the needle valve on the last couple of days.